Product description

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson's internationally best-selling trilogy
Lisbeth Salander--the heart of Larsson's two previous novels--lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge--against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.
Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

Author information

Stieg Larsson, who lived in Sweden, was the editor in chief of the magazine "Expo" and a leading expert on antidemocratic, right-wing extremist and Nazi organizations. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscripts for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, " and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest."

Customer reviews

Book three in the famous Millennium trilogy continues the story around Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist with the already well-known virtuos writing style of Stieg Larsson.

Larsson develops an interesting relationship between Lisbeth and Mikael. Although they are not able to communicate face-to-face they find a way to talk to each other with the help of media devices, which play an important role in the whole trilogy.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest continues the actions of The Girl Who Played with Fire, the second novel in this series, smoothly. It satisfies the reader's urge for knowledge but stresses his inquisitiveness till the last page is turned.

Where novel one and two in the series only point out single culprits, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest uncovers the corrupt and shocking intrigues of dominant members of society.

As in the first two novels I really enjoyed the little text or teaser that introduces each new chapter. Larsson tells several stories of women resistances or fights against supposedly invincible enemies. These short extracts connect with the plot of the main story and reflect Lisbeth's personal fight against her enemies in a very vivid and intense way.

The end is rather abrupt and it didn't satisfy me completely as it is also the final end to the series. Stieg Larsson was writing the 4th novel in this series when he died in course of a heart attack. Still this series deserves the respect and appreciation of every avid (thriller) reader!

THE VERDICT

The Millennium phenomenon shoudln't be ignored. Read Stieg Larsson's famous The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest if you want to know how the thrilling story around Lisbeth and Mikael ends. It's a fantastic novel, but unfortunately the last part of the Millennium series!

The third, and final, chapter of this trilogy centers around Lisbeth's trial. Picking up mere minutes after the previous book ends, Lisbeth is transported to the hospital to recover from her injuries. She is charged with attempted murder (among other things). Mikael and her other friends set out to save her from being locked up again.

I found this concluding book to less of a draw then the previous ones. I thoroughly enjoyed the law/courtroom aspect, but found myself tuning out during all the history lessons. I don't think they contributed to the story at all, except to make it longer.

I love the develop of Lisbeth's character over the course of the series. You can see a slow but steady growth in her maturity and self confidence.

I'm glad I finished the series. I'm satisfied with how everything turned out. But I doubt I'll read it again.

My honest suggestion is to avoid this costly yet cheap-looking edition. What attracted me was a nice and subtle cover... So I decided to pay more and even ordered a hardback version. Because, after all, this was meant for a gift. In reality the book looks awfully designed - the cover is unnaturally shiny, the pages are grubby - they are unevenly put together! The book looks really cheap and I'm upset I'll have to give it as a gift. I would definitely return it, but I know my friend is eagerly waiting for it.

Review quote

“A thoroughly gripping read . . . Lisbeth Salander, Stieg Larsson’s fierce pixie of a heroine, is one of the most original characters in a thriller to come along in a while—a gamin, Audrey Hepburn look-alike but with tattoos and piercings, the take-no-prisoners attitude of Lara Croft and the cool, unsentimental intellect of Mr. Spock . . . Owes less to the "Silence of the Lambs" horror genre than to something by John le Carré.”
—Michiko Kakutani, "New York Times"
“The literary equivalent of a caffeine rush . . . Larsson was one of those rare writers who could keep you up until 3 a.m. and then make you want to rush home the next night to do it again . . . Larsson is something like John Grisham [but] Larsson held an extra ace: the creation of Salander.”
—"Newsweek"
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"“It’s over! And I feel the same sense of pleasure and loss that I did when I watched the finale of ‘The Sopran